Electric time system.



No. 768,908. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904. D. FERRET.

ELECTRIC TIME SYSTEM. nPLmATIoN FILED MAR. 31. 1904. no MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 190%.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC TIME SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,908, a e A g 30,1904.

Application filed March 31,1904. Serial No. 200,929. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID PERRET, a citizen of Switzerland, residing atNeufchatel, in the Republic of Switzerland, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electric Time Systems; and I'do herebydeclare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electric time systems, its object being toprovide an installation which may be applied to and connected with anyelectrically wound or actuated clock and which will be simple inconstruction and in which all the receiving-clocks will operate withcertainty. The system which I have devised for this purpose involves theuse for the transmission of time of an electrically wound or set clockwhich is provided with circuit-breakers actuated by a movable part ofthe clock-movement. In this system there is connected to the circuitbreakers or interrupters of the controlling-clock the circuit from asource of electricity in which are installed the relays designed toclose and open the local motive circuits of the receivingclocks, thewinding device of the controllingclock being itself installed in one ofthese relay-governed local circuits.

In the accompanying drawing I have represented in diagram an example ofthe preferred manner in which I carry my invention into effect.

As seen from the drawing, the controllingolock is provided with aratchet 1, engaged by a pawl or dog 2, pivoted to a lever 3, which inturn is pivoted at 4, said lever being urged into the position shown inthe drawing by a spring 5, one end of which is secured to a stud 33 atthe forward end of the lever, while its other end is attached to a rodor pintle 35, which may be adjusted longitudinally to vary the tensionof the spring 5, if desired, and secured in its position of adjustmentby a setscrew 55. The lever 3 is also provided at its forward end withan armature 53, which whenever the electromagnet 21, arranged oppositethe same, is energized will be drawn forward and the lever 3, beingreturned to their initial position by thespring as soon as the magnet isdeenergized, thereby causing the pawl 2 to carry the wheel 1 forward tothe extent of one tooth in the direction of the arrow, as will bereadily understood. The pawl 2 is held into engagement with the teeth ofratchetwheel 1 of the controlling-clock by any suitable or convenientmeans, such as the bent spring 23 shown, which is attached to the lever3 and reaching around over the knee where the pawl 2 is pivoted to thesaid lever bears against the shank of said pawl. This spring might,however, be dispensed with, as it acts merely as an auxiliary to thecontact or plate spring 6, which bears against said pawl, as shown, andwhich spring is caused to contact with a contact-piece 7 (shown to be adjustably arranged) each time the pawl 2 rides over one of the teeth ofthe ratchet 1. To the contact-piece 7 is connected one of the poles of abattery or other source of electricity 8. The contactspring 6, it willbe noted, is arranged at an angle to the pawl 2, and it and thecontactpiece 7, with their operative means, constitute onecircuit-breaker. A second detentpawl, 9, is held into engagement withthe ratchet 1 by a small spring 10, and the tail 11 of this pawl is soarranged as tobear against a portion of contact or plate spring 12 andto force it into contact with a contact piece or screw 13, alsoadjustably arranged and connected to earth at 312, as shown. Wheneverthe point of one of the teeth of the ratchet, under the action of pawl2, passes below and by this pawl 9, the tail 11 of the said pawlreleases the spring 12 and permits the latter to move out of contactwith the contact-piece 13 by virtue of its own tension, whereby thecurrent is broken between the points 12 and 13. The spring 12 andcontact-piece 13, with their operative means, form the secondcircuit-breaker. Of course insulations, such as 62 and 121, are arrangedat the points where the pawls 2 and 11 contact with the contactsprings 6and 12. The other pole of the source of electricity 8 is connected to aline 1 1, terminating at earth, as shownat 4:13, on which line areconnected the relays 15, three of which are shown in the drawing forpurposes of illustration, but which may be of any suitable or desirednumber. As shown, these relays 15 are connected in series. Each of therelays comprises an electromagnetic coil, whose two ends or bindingpostsare connected to the line 14 in series, and a U-shaped frame 16, onearm, 161, of which is connected or attached to the support or base ofthe relay and also to the core of the electromagnet, while the otherupper elastic or resilient arm, 162, acts as the armature, which isdrawn downward each time the magnet of the relay is energized that is,each time a current passes through the line or circuit 14.. When the arm162 is drawn down, its end is caused to strike against an insulatedcontact 17, connected to a local circuit 18, in which are installed oneor more electric clocks 19, as well as a source of electricity 20. Thislocal circuit, as shown, is connected at 186 to the resilient arm 162.Each relay 15 and each local circuit 18, with their various parts andappurtenances, are arranged and constructed as just described, exceptthat in the last local circuit 18 of the series is placed theelectromagnet 21 of the controlling-clock, which when energized servesto attract the armature 53 on the pawl-lever 3, and thereby tointermittently rotate the ratchet-wheel 1, as above described. v

The operation of the electric time system thus described is as follows:Whenever the current in the coil of electromagnet 21 is broken, thearmature-lever 3 is released and the spring 5 rocks the said lever,whereby the pawl 2 is caused to advance the ratchet-wheel 1 of thecontrolling or master clock in the sense of the arrow. Thereby the pawl9 is raised by the ratchet-tooth, which it engages, thereby removing thetail 11 out of contact with the contact-spring 12, which being releasedbreaks contact with the contact-piece 13, and thus breaking the circuitof line 1 1. Coincidently with this action of the pawl 9 the descendingmovement of the pawl 2 causes the latter to bear against thecontact-spring 6 and to force it into contact with the contact-piece 7.The arrangement of the parts is such that the contact between spring 6and contact-piece 7 is established a little before the pawl 9 afterbeing ridden over a tooth of the ratchet-wheel 1 drops back into thenext notch between two teeth. As soon as the pawl 9 drops into suchnotchthe tail 11 forces the contact-spring 12 against contact-piece 13,and since now both circuit-breakers are closed the circuit frombatteryor current source 8 is established and the current passes intoall of the relays 15, so that in each the resilient arm 162 is attractedto the magnet of the relays, thereby closing the local circuit 18 bycausing each arm 16 to contact with its contact-piece 17. The current ineach circuit 18 being thus closed each of the correspondingreceiving-clocks 19 in each circuit is thus actuated by means wellunderstood by those skilled in the art and which it is not necessary todescribe. At the same time the electromagnet 21, which, as above setforth, is connected into the last local circuit and which serves toreturn the actuating-pawl 2 of the controlling-clock to its startingposition, is energized, thereby drawing down the armature-lever 3,whereby the spring 5 is put undertension andfurther energy to actuatethe controlling-clock is stored in the same. As soon as the'spring 5 hasbeen stretched by the above action of the electromagnet 21 on thearmature-lever 3 the pawl 2, which has thereby been raised so as tofirst ride over a tooth of the ratchet-wheel -1 and then drop intoengagement with the following tooth, is out of contact with thecontact-spring 6, and the latter therefore breaks contact withcontact-piece 7 and opens the circuit or line 14, and thereby all of thelocal circuits 18. Hence the electromagnet 21 becomes deenergized,

thereby completing one cycle of operations of this system, and thespring 5 again acts to rock lever 3, and thereby to start the next cycleof operations, and so on, as above described.

' Any electrically wound or actuated clock may without undergoing anychange whatever serve as a controlling or time-distributing clock in asystem embodying my invention. All that is necessary is to connect tothe circuit-breaker of such controlling or distributingclock a circuitin which are placed relays operated by said circuit and local circuitseach connected with an electric receiving clock or clocks, said localcircuits to be opened and closed by the said relays, one of the localcircuits having included in it an electromagnet-motor for Winding oractuating the controlling-clock. Since the electromagnet 21 of thecontrolling electric clock is included in one of the local circuitswhich actuate the receiving-clocks, the said controlling-clock cannot bereset for the next advance of the ratchet-wheel 1 after having fed thesame forward one step.unless the said local circuit has been closed byits relay, or, in other words,

unless the receiving-clocks in said local cir' cuit have beencoincidentally actuated. Hence in order to avoid the lagging behind ofany of'the receiving-clocks with respect to the controlling-clock itwill be sufficient to include in the local circuit of the electromagnetfor resetting said controlling-clock and in series with saidelectromagnet a receiving clock or clocksvwhich are more inert or slowacting than any of those of the other local circuits, so that unless themore inert or slow-acting receivers have been effectively operated the55 A an electric controlling-clock and a circuitbreaking device actuatedby the controllingcontrolling-clock 1 cannot be reset for its nextmagnet 21 might also beincluded'alone, with-; out any receivers 19, inaseparate local circuit. In such a case the corresponding relay would bemade more inert than any ofthe others, so that it would not close thecircuit of said resetting-magnet 21 preparatory to breaking therelay-circuitli, until the more rapid relays of the remaining localcircuits 18 had already operated. The receiving-clock in each ofthelocal circuitsmay be either in series or in parallel or partly in seriesand partly in parallel. The relays also may be included in the line-14in parallel, if desired. Though the said line 14 is in the drawingrepresented as being connected to earth, it is evident that it might beprovided witha return-conductor other than earth instead.

It will be noted that in all cases the electromagnetic means foroperating the circuit breaker, comprising the ratchet 1, the feedpawl52, stop-pawl 9;,the contact-pieces 7 and 1'3, and contact-springs 6 and12, consist of an electromagnet 21 and armature 53 or their equivalentsin combination with the resettingspring 5. said electromagnetic meansbeing included in a local circuit 18, operated by a relay 15 included inthe main circuit arranged to be opened and closed by thecircuit-breaker.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric time system, a main circuit, an electromagneticcircuit-breaking device for the same, and relays included insaidmain'circuit, in combination with local circuits corresponding tosaid relays, the electromagnet of the circuit-breaking device for themain circuit being included in one of the local circuits.

2. In an electric time system, a main circuit, an electromagneticcircuit-breakingdevice for I thesame, and relays included in said maincircuit, in combination with local circuits, each connected to areceiving clock or clocks corresponding to said relays, theelectromagnet of'the circuit-breaking device for the main circuit beingincluded in one of the local circuits.

3. In an electric time system, a main circuit,

clock, in combination with relays included in the main circuit, andlocal circuits corresponding to and adapted to be closed by said relays,one of said local circuits being connected. to the electriccontrolling-clock.

. 4. In an electric time system,a main circuit,

a controlling-clock and a circuit-breaking device actuated by thecontrolling ql ock, com; bination with relays included in thagpiain circuit, and gflocal circuits correspondingrtq a adapted to be closed bysaid relays, onewf said locallcircuits being connected to the actu=-ating-elecltromagnet of the controlling-clock. 5. In an electric timesystem, a main c1rcu1t,

a controlling-clockand a circuit-breaking de- 7 Vice actuated by thecontrolling-clock, in combination with relays included in the maincircuit, and local circuits, each connected to a receiving clock orclocks corresponding to-and adapted to be closed bysaid relays, one ofsaid local circuits being connected to the actuatingelectromagnet of thecontrolling-clock.

6. In an electric time system, a main circuit, an electriccontrolling-clock and a-circuitbreaking device actuated-by thecontrolling clock, in combination with relays included in series in themain circuit, and local circuits corresponding to and adapted to beclosedby said relays, one of said local circuits being connected to theactuating-electromagnet of the controlling-clock.

7 In an electric time system, amain circuit, a controlling-clock and acircuit-breaking device actuated by the controlling-clock, incombination with relays included in series in the main circuit, andlocal circuits, eachconnected to a receiving clock or clockscorresponding to and adapted to be closed by said relays, one of saidlocal circuits being connected to the actuating-electromagnet of thecontrolling-clock. v

8. In an electric time system, a main circuit, an electromagneticcircuit-breaking device for the same, and relays included in said maincircuit, in combination with local circuits corresponding to saidrelays, the electromagnet of the circuit breaking device for the'maincircuit being included inthe slowest-acting local circuit- 9. Inanelectric time system, a main circuit, an electromagneticcircuit-breaking device for the same, and relays included in said maincircuit, in combination with local circuits, each connected to areceiving clock or clocks ;corresponding to said relays, theelectromagnet of g the circuit-breaking device for-the main circuitbeing included in the slowest-acting local circuit. j

10. In an electric time system, a main circuit, an electriccontrolling-clock and a circuit-breaking device actuated by thecontrolling-clock, in combination with relays included in the maincircuit, and local circuits corresponding to and adapted to be closed bysaid relays, the slowest-acting local circuit being connected to theelectric controlling-clock. 11. In an electric time system, a mainCII'". cuit, a controlling-clock and acircuit-breaking device actuatedby the controlling-clock,

in eonrbinationfiith relays included in the to this specification in thepresence of two main (illcjrkkand local circuits correspondlngwltnesses.

to nd a l' ted to be closed by said relays, the slowe-i't-acting localcircuit being connected to D AVID FERRET v 5 the actuating-electromagnetof the control Witnesses:

ling-clock. ADOLF FEDERER,

In testimony whereof I aflEiX my'signature FRIEDRICH NAEGELL

